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PhD Program Reviews

In spring 2012, Tulane's Graduate Council approved a process for the periodic review of all PhD programs. These reviews commenced in spring 2013 and continue in subsequent years according to the schedule below. Guidelines for the preparations of self-study reports and a list of FAQ about the process are provided below. Please check back periodically for updates as review teams are assembled, schedules are announced, and reports are submitted.

FAQ

to maintain and strengthen the quality of Tulane's doctoral degree programs through identification of areas and/or practices that need expansion or revision;

to promote goal setting and planning in the relevant School(s),

to provide accountability to the relevant Dean(s), Provost, and Board of Administrators for the expenditure of university funds on doctoral education;

to assist the institution in promoting its doctoral programs to its constituencies.

2. Has the external review team been assembled yet, and can you provide any information about likely disciplinary composition?

The external review team has been partially assembled and will be announced in full by December 31, 2015. It will be led by a sitting graduate dean from a peer institution whose disciplinary field is in the social sciences. The remaining members will be respected colleagues from peer institutions who will review a program in their discipline.

3. Will the Graduate Council be able to provide any feedback on the self-studies prior to the panel visit?

The Graduate Council is not currently scheduled to provide official feedback on the self-study documents prior to the panel visit.

4. What are the dates of the external committee visit?

The dates of the external committee visit have not yet been finalized. The visit will occur mid-March 2016; the exact dates will be announced once the team has been finalized.

5. Where do I get information for Table 5.1 (Section 5.1 Program Faculty)?

A customized report is available in Digital Measures to assist you in the preparation of Table 5.1. Please go to Digital Measures and run the "PhD Program Review Table 5.1" report for the period July 1, 2010 through June 30, 2015 (the previous five academic years). You can produce it in MS Word format which can then be edited as you see fit. Note that faculty may have to update grant activity, publications, and graduate student completion dates for the report to be accurate. OGPS can assist departments in identifying the key fields that need to be completed in order to make the report accurate, but a good place to start if the Report Documentation which you can obtain by clicking on "Details of how this report is built" on the report generation page. If you have difficulty running the report, please contact OGPS.

6. Should we include Research Professors and Emeriti/Emeritae Professions in the list of program faculty (Section 5.1 Program Faculty)?

If Research or Emeriti/ae Professors can supervise graduate students (as major advisors and chairs of thesis committees), then they should be included. Please list only those faculty who have supervised students during the previous five years. This may require some editing of the report (Table 5.1) generated from Digital Measures.

7. How do we calculate time to degree (Section 5.4 Former Students)?

OGPS will calculate time to degree for each graduate program and provide this information to you as soon as it is ready. We estimate that it will be available in mid-September. In general, time to degree should be calculated from the time a student enrolls at Tulane for graduate studies (regardless of whether or not they come in with a master's degree or first obtain a master's before the PhD) until the time they degree is conferred (August, December or May of the academic year). OFFICIAL leaves of absence granted by the dean have not been included in OGPS' calculation because we had no way of knowing what they are. If you believe the time to degree calculation for a particular student is incorrect, please consult with OGPS to request a revision.